Explore Cheeses

Explore cheese varieties from around the world, categorized by texture, milk type, and region.

Bra

Bra cheese comes from the town of Bra in Piedmont, Italy, and can be made from either cow's milk alone or a blend of cow's and sheep's or goat’s milk. It ranges in texture from soft and creamy to firm, …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk; optionally mixed with small quantities of sheep or goat milk
Texture: Hard or semi-hard depending on aging
Flavor: Range from mild to piquant

Bandel

Bandel, originating from the Bandel region in West Bengal, India, is notable for its dry, crumbly texture and strong, salty flavor. This cheese is typically available in small, circular flats and is aged to develop its distinctive taste. Bandel is …

Country: India
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Crumbly
Flavor: Mild and slightly salty

Aged Goat Cheese

Aged Goat Cheese is made from goat's milk and is known for its firm texture and crumbly consistency. It typically has a sharp, tangy flavor with a hint of nuttiness. The aging process intensifies its taste, giving it a slightly …

Milk Type: Goat

Lietuviškas varškės sūris

Lietuviškas varškės sūris is a traditional Lithuanian cheese known for its distinctive triangular prism shape with rounded corners. It is an unripened curd cheese that can be consumed fresh, smoked, baked, or dried. The cheese is made using a lactic …

Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft, homogeneous, rather dense, may crumble when cut (fresh); homogeneous, dense, a little elastic (baked); homogeneous, dense, crumbly (smoked); homogeneous, hard, difficult to cut, crumbles when broken (dried)
Flavor: Characteristic lactic acid with hints of seasonings

Kashkaval

Kashkaval is a popular type of yellow cheese made from cow's milk, or sometimes from sheep's milk, in various countries across the Balkans. It has a semi-hard texture and a rich, slightly tangy flavor that becomes sharper with age. Kashkaval …

Country: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Turkey
Milk Type: Cow's or sheep's milk
Texture: Medium-hard to hard, elastic
Flavor: Piquant

Džiugas

Džiugas is a cheese from Lithuania, recognized as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product. It is made from cow's milk that is standardized, pasteurized, and curdled with enzymes. The cheese is produced only from milk obtained during the grazing period, …

Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Hard but breaks easily; becomes harder and contains more crunchy crystals with age
Flavor: Rich, sweet yet sharp taste

Maroilles

Maroilles, also known as Marolles, is a strong-smelling, washed-rind cheese from northern France. It has a soft, moist texture and a rich, intense flavor with earthy notes. Maroilles is often used in cooking, especially in regional dishes like "flamiche aux …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semisoft
Flavor: Creamy taste, powerful aroma

Toma

Toma is a generic term used across the Piedmont and Aosta Valley regions of Italy to describe a family of farmhouse cheeses made from cow's milk. These cheeses can vary but typically have a soft to semi-hard texture and a …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-hard

Canestrato di Moliterno

Canestrato di Moliterno is an Italian cheese from Basilicata, particularly noted for its firm texture and sharp, piquant flavor. It is made from a mix of sheep's and goat's milk and is aged in wicker baskets, which imprint a distinctive …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: 70–90% goat's, 10–30% sheep's
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Varies

Lancashire

Lancashire cheese comes from the county of Lancashire in England. It can be young, creamy, and mild or aged, crumbly, and sharp. This cheese is known for its rich, tangy flavor and moist, crumbly texture, making it ideal for both …

Country: United Kingdom
Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Semihard
Flavor: Mellow to rich

Queso Garrotxa

Formatge Garrotxa is a traditional goat’s milk cheese from Catalonia, Spain, recognized under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) system. It is made exclusively from whole goat’s milk using the mixed curdling technique. The cheese has a regular cylindrical shape with …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Goat
Texture: Firm, smooth
Flavor: Mild lactic notes

Romano

Romano, also known as Pecorino Romano, is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk, originally from the region around Rome. It is known for its sharp, piquant flavor and is most often used grated over pasta dishes, soups, …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's or sheep's milk
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Mild, sharp, tangy

Squacquerone di Romagna

Squacquerone di Romagna is a soft, spreadable cheese from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It is extremely creamy with a mild, slightly tangy flavor. This cheese is traditionally served with piadina flatbreads, and its delicate, creamy nature makes it a …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Whole cow’s milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Sweet or slightly acid

Caciocavallo Palermitano

Caciocavallo Palermitano is a variant of Caciocavallo from the Palermo region of Sicily. It is made using traditional methods that include hanging the cheese in pairs tied with rope, hence the name "caciocavallo" (cheese on horseback). This cheese has a …

Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Firm
Flavor: Spicy

Trnič

Trnič is a pear-shaped cheese from Slovenia, traditionally made on the Velika Planina plateau. It is a hard cheese made from curdled cow's milk, with added cream and salt. Historically, it was made by shepherds as a token of love, …

Country: Slovenia
Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Salty and slightly acidic

Abondance

Abondance is a traditional French cheese from the Haute-Savoie region, easily recognized by its firm texture and concave wheel shape. Made from raw cow's milk, it matures for at least three months, developing a creamy, slightly nutty flavor. Its rind, …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-Hard
Flavor: Savory, yet fruity with an intense "umami" taste

Charolais

Charolais is a goat's milk cheese from Burgundy. It is cylindrical in shape and has a firm, yet creamy texture. As it ages, its flavor becomes more pronounced, developing a complex nuttiness with a slight tang. Charolais is often enjoyed …

Country: France
Milk Type: Goat's milk
Texture: Semi-soft
Flavor: Acidic, salty, sweet

Domiati

Domiati is a popular white cheese in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. It is made from either cow or buffalo milk, or sometimes a mixture of the two, and is salted heavily during the production process. Domiati …

Country: Egypt
Milk Type: Primarily buffalo, but also cow's, goat's, etc.
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Salty

Neufchâtel

Neufchâtel is one of France’s oldest cheeses, dating back to the 6th century. Originating from Normandy, this soft, slightly crumbly cheese is made from cow's milk and is similar to Camembert but heart-shaped with a soft, velvety rind. It has …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Creamy

Bohinjski sir

Bohinjski sir is a hard cheese from the Bohinj region of Slovenia. Made from cow’s milk, it has a robust, slightly sweet flavor and a compact, dense texture. This cheese is often aged in the mountainous regions, absorbing the rich …

Country: Slovenia
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-hard
Flavor: Full-flavored

Pecorino Sardo

Pecorino Sardo, also known as Fiore Sardo, is a firm sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia, Italy. It comes in two varieties: Dolce (sweet), which is younger and softer, and Maturo (mature), which is harder and has a more intense flavor. …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Sheep's Milk
Texture: Firm but springy and elastic for Dolce, Hard and grainy for Maturo
Flavor: Mild and sweet for Dolce, More piquant and pronounced in salt for Maturo

Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is one of the world's oldest blue-veined cheeses, produced in Northern Italy. It's rich and creamy with a sharp, piquant flavor that varies depending on its age. Gorgonzola can be spicy (Piccante) or sweet (Dolce), with the latter being …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft to crumbly
Flavor: Sweet to savory

Traditional Welsh Caerphilly

Traditional Welsh Caerphilly is a hard cheese made in Wales from locally sourced cow’s milk. It can be produced using raw or pasteurized milk and either organic or non-organic methods. The cheese has a mild, slightly lemony taste when young …

Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Mild, slightly lemony when young, fuller but still mild when aged

Queijo mestiço de Tolosa

Queijo Mestiço de Tolosa is a ripened, semi-soft cheese from Portugal. It is made from a mixture of ewe's milk and goat's milk in varying proportions. The cheese has a yellowish color with a few small holes and a slightly …

Milk Type: Ewe's milk and goat's milk
Texture: Malleable to hard, consistent, not very tight, with a few small holes
Flavor: Slightly vigorous, clean, and piquant

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